Preface#
Merry Christmas Eve! It's been a year since I updated this series, and I finally bring you the second chapter of the Galgame suite. This is also a good opportunity to talk about the "G" in ACGN—Galgame.
How to play Galgame? As a player who has been in contact with Galgame for over ten years, I have accumulated some insights that I would like to share with you.
This year might be the lowest point for Galgame in over a decade, allowing more people to appreciate the charm of visual novel games.
Hardware#
In theory, you only need a Windows computer to play 99.9% of Galgames.
Even for some games that are exclusive to consoles or older PC98 games, you can solve most issues through emulators (almost all, as I can't think of any Galgame that is only available on PS5 and not on NS), which will be mentioned later.
If you need to emulate recent consoles or have high-resolution requirements, you might need a more powerful computer.
If you need streaming capabilities, you may also need a projector, TV, or tablet. Personally, I can't accept playing adult games on such large screens as the first two options. If using a tablet, it's best to consider buying a stand for your eyes and neck, something that can be found on Taobao for around twenty to thirty yuan.
Information#
News#
I'm not accustomed to following news about new games. In most cases, I think you only need to look at the weekly summaries from Galgame Criticism.
However, I particularly dislike watching video versions; I usually read the text versions on various websites or WeChat public accounts.
You can also go to various Galgame forums to chat or find information, but unlike my other hobbies, I personally don't like to discuss Galgame-related information with others. Moreover, for many people, these forums have a high entry barrier, and most are no longer active, so I don't recommend them unless you need a lot of obscure resources.
If your Japanese is good, I recommend visiting Galgame Garden, which I believe is the most comprehensive place for Japanese visual novel news.
There's also CnGal Information Station, which collects information about domestic Galgames. If you don't pay much attention to domestic G, I recommend checking it out; it will definitely surprise you.
Database#
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VNDB is the largest and most complete visual novel database in all of Europe and America (this "Europe and America" might be unnecessary).
Compared to the other databases mentioned below, it has not only all the features but also allows you to find purchase links and localization patches for various games.
For an introduction and usage instructions about VNDB, you can check out this article on Yuebian: https://www.ymgal.games/co/article/171565455570370560
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A couple of years ago, I would have recommended Erogamescape over VNDB, but in recent years, VNDB's information has become very comprehensive. If you're just looking for information, VNDB is completely sufficient. However, in terms of reviews, TAG classification detail, and surrounding information, Erogamescape still has richer information.
For how to access Erogamescape, asking the site owner for a whitelist is not very suitable for domestic users; I recommend looking for proxy sites.
If you want to write reviews but don't know English or Japanese, you can use Bangumi.
Resources#
Find them yourself.
Tools#
Use Playnite to Manage Your Game Library#
Of course, I have used some game library managers specialized for Galgame, such as PotatoVN and Vnite, but these software have quite a few shortcomings compared to Playnite, such as support for emulators, rich themes, and comprehensive script support.
If you need to use it to manage Galgames, you need to add a data source for VNDB Nexus. When adding a new game, simply drag the executable file (.exe) into Playnite, then enter the game name and use VNDB Nexus to scrape.
As for the interaction with emulators or region switching, I will briefly introduce that later.
Emulators and Virtual Machines#
In most cases, your Windows 10/11 PC can already run 99.9% of Galgames. Of course, there are some Galgames that are not available on PC platforms, which you need to play through emulators.
Fortunately, so far, 99% of Galgames not available on PC can be played on your PC, and most emulators support management through Playnite.
Here are some commonly used emulators:
- PSP (e.g., Christmas Kiss, Detective Opera): I generally use PPSSPP. Although there is a PC version, I usually play these games directly on my phone.
- NS (e.g., Tsukihime R, recent works from Nippon Ichi (generally, those that are available on PS4 and PS5 will also be on NS)): Although many NS emulators have recently been shut down by Nintendo, for text-based games, even Yuzu can run most released Galgames, so there are no special issues.
- 3DS/NDS: Since the only DS romance game I have played is Love Plus, and the new Love Plus already has a relatively complete Chinese patch, you can directly use Citra to play if needed.
- PC emulation (including Windows XP and earlier Windows systems, DOS, and PC98): You can check the relevant chapters on the Galgame Chinese Patch Project for introductions. Note that when installing older versions of Windows, please install the Japanese version. If it's a game on MS-DOS or PC98, you can also check Galgame on DOS UI.
- Xbox exclusives: Ever17 Remake will be released next year; otherwise, what else do you want to play!
- PlayStation exclusives: I haven't played them, so you can research them yourself.
For how to add emulators to Playnite, please refer to the official documentation.
Use Magpie for Upscaling Games#
Magpie is a lightweight window scaling tool that includes various efficient scaling algorithms and filters. It is mainly used to enhance game graphics and allow games that do not support fullscreen to be displayed in fullscreen.
The usage is particularly simple; I use a 2k monitor and don't need particularly complex differential configurations. If needed, you can check the GitHub discussion page for configurations shared by others.
My configuration in most cases is as follows:
"effects": [
{
"effect": "Anime4K_Upscale_Denoise_L"
},
{
"effect": "Anime4K_Restore_VL"
}
]
Recently, I also tried CuNNy, and the difference from Anime4K is still not very significant. Anime4K handles fonts better, so if you're interested, you can check out the comparison between the two.
Game Time Statistics#
Under normal circumstances, Playnite's game time statistics are already usable, but I often leave games running in the background while working, and sometimes I even leave games running in the background while sleeping. Playnite does not track your idle time like Steam does.
So currently, I use ManicTime for game time statistics. It is a software usage duration tracking tool. Compared to others, it can only calculate the usage time of software activated in the foreground. If you do not operate for a while, it will mark you as Away, making it possible to track game time.
Translator#
Currently, I only recommend LunaTranslator, which is updated relatively frequently and has comprehensive features.
If you need to use it long-term, I recommend getting a paid API for a better language model, but I personally rarely use translators anymore.
Region Switching#
Locale Emulator won't be elaborated on much; I will mainly talk about how to automatically switch regions when launching games in Playnite.
First method:
- Right-click on the game in Playnite that you need to switch regions for, edit the game—commands.
- Change the path to LEProc.exe.
- Change the parameters to -runas "Guid in LEConfig.xml" "Directory of the game to be launched."
Second method:
- Download LEShortcutCreator and launch it.
- Place the EXE file you need to switch regions for into it to generate a shortcut.
- Launch through the shortcut.
I currently use the second method.
Remote Control#
If you need to remotely use your phone or tablet to play Galgame, I recommend using Sunshine + Moonlight for local area network use, and Parsec for non-local area network use.
If playing on an iPad, download ParsecVDisplay to create a virtual screen with your tablet's resolution, which works wonders for playing 4:3 games (remember to modify Sunshine to your virtual monitor).
For remote mouse and keyboard simulation, just download Remote Mouse on your phone, or there are many alternative software options available on GitHub.
Purchase#
For me, purchasing Galgames is mainly out of a supportive stance, so I generally don't consider collectible value when buying physical copies. For digital versions, I buy them as conveniently as possible.
If you need to purchase physical copies, you can check out this article: https://www.bilibili.com/opus/976877727255625747?spm_id_from=333.999.0.0.
If you need to purchase physical copies, you can first check platforms like Steam, DLsite, etc., which are convenient for domestic payments, and then consider sites like Fanza that are not very suitable for domestic payments.
Finally#
That's all I can think of for now. If you have anything else you need me to add, feel free to mention it, and I will supplement it if I see it.
That's all.